Method of and apparatus for serving material upon alpha core



m 1,629,168 May 1927' H. R. MASSINGHAM METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SERVING MATERIAL UPON A CORE Filed Jan. 12, 1926 Hwy A? Mass/2gb Patented May l7, 1927.

UNITED STATES HENRY noenns MASSINGHAM, or LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR To WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, NEW YORK.

' METHOD on m ArrAR-ATUs Eon Application filed January This inventionrelates to a method of and apparatus for serving material upon a core. and more particularly to' a methodiof and apparatus for controlling the tension inf strands during the serving thereof to a non-' may result in non-uniform distribution of" the material and also may considerably dis"- tort the core. It is. therefore. the object of the present invention to. provide a method of and apparatus for distributing and maintaining substantiallv constant the tension of material served in non-circular cores to produce a product which is of a substantially uniform cross-section over its entire length.

In order to attain this object in accordance with one embodiment of this invention. as practiced in connection with the forming of a flat type telephone switchboard cable wherein the core comprises athin flat strip of pressboard. a plurality of strands or wires are withdrawn from a plurality of supply spools distributed uniformly around the longitudinal} axis of the core. During the travel of the strands or'wires from the point of distribution to the -:point of application 'sively deflected to take up the slack therein 1 as they are formed around the. edges of the core and subsequently released as they are.

laid upon the flat longitudinal sides thereof.

Specificallyrthe invention provides a stationary plate having a suitably shaped aperture inside. of which a pluralitv of strands, such as a pair of wires. are withdrawn after passing through a distributor ring rotating with a twisting or stranding drum of the usual type, the contour of the aperture being such that the length of each pair of wires between thedist-ributor and its point of application to the core will be maintained the same, irrespective of its point of applicato the core, the strands or wires are progres OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF snavmc MATERIAL Uroit A com.

12, 1926. Serial No. 30,755.

tion thereto, and consequently the rate at which thewires are withdrawn from their supply spools will be the same thereby maintaining a substantially uniform tension in the wires at-all times.

,Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fullyappear fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates one "embodiment thereof, and inwhich a i Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view ofthe outlet end of a wire twisting or stranding inachine'embodying the features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in-the direction of the arrows.

It believed that a better understanding of the improved method will be procured from a description of the improved apparatus. whereby the method may be practiced.

This invention will be described in connection with a wire twisting or stranding machine, such as is used in the manufacture of telephone cables. In order to simplify the disclosure of the invention only such elements of a stranding or serving machine have been shown, as are necessary to a full and complete understanding of the invention. For a more complete illustration and description of a stranding or serving machine with which apparatus of the present invention is particularly applicable, reterence may be had to the co-pending application of C. R. Avery, Serial No. 709,332, tiled April 28. 1924. i

7 Referring now to the drawingin detail, the numeral 10 indicates the/usual rotary distributor or guide ring provided in the present instance with twelve eyes, or apertures 11 through each of which is threaded a pair of individually insulated twisted wires. each twisted pair of wires being indicated by the numeral 12. In the operation of the machine each pair of the wires 12 is drawn from a freely rotatable supply spoolinot shown) carried upon arotatable stranding drum (not shown). A telephone switchboard cable of the flat type is illustrated in the drawing as being formed, the pairs of wires 12 being stranded or twisted about a thin flat pressboard core 15, which inthe operation of the stranding machine is ad vanced toward the right as viewed. in. Figs. 1 and 2 at a. predetermined rate, the core 15 passing" along the axis of the machine and then through an aperture 16 formed in the distributor 10. A polisher is indicated at 17 which is provided with an aperture having acontour corresponding to the shape of the finished cable; which may be drawn therethrough by a usual capstan mechanism (not shown). I

Positioned intermediate the polisher 17 and the distributor 10 and adjacent the latter is a tension control device 18 embodying the features t this invention. The device 18 is in the form of a plate supported upon a stationary part of the machine and is pro vided with a cam-shaped aperture 19 through which the core 15 and pairs of wires 12 pass, the shape of the aperture 1.) depending upon the particular shape ot the core 15 to be served, as will be more fully described hereinat'ter.

It will readily be apparent that during the. serving operation as the distributor revolves in the direction indicated by the ar row (llip 3) about the longitudinally moving thin fiat core 15, the wires 12 will be laid spirally 'tl'ierealonp in evenly spaced relation as clearly shown at the right hand of Fig. 1. Let it be assumed that the device 18 is not positioned between the distributor 10 and polisher 17 but has been omitted, in which case it Will be apparent as any particular pair of wires 12 is wrapped around either narrow edge of the core in-leaving either the upper or lower surface of the core that the rate of speed at which the pair of wires is withdrawn from its supply spool will he suddenly increased as it is laid across either the upper or lower surface of thecore, and upon being wrapped around the core at either end thereof the rate of withdrawal will he suddenly decreased. Due to the intermittent, irregular or jerky speed at which the wires are being withdrawn from their supply spools, xtreme care must be taken in the stranding of flat, elliptical or other noncircular shaped cable, in that, due to the inertia of the supply spools, it may cause a breakage in the wires or the cutting of the core 15 at the edges thereof particularly in the case of the stranding of liner sizes of wire.

As hereinbefore referred to. the contour of the cam-shaped aperture 19 in the plate 18 is dependent upon the shapoof the ('OI'C to be served. and is so shaped that the length of each of the pairs of wires 12 in its passage between the guide apertures 11 in the distributor 10 and their point of application to the core, which is at. the left hand side of the polisher 17, will be maintained the same irrespective of its point of application to the core 15. TlllS is accomplished as masses is clearly illustrated. in Fig. 3 of the drawing due to the deflection of the wires as they move toward the edges of [heroic-.15, thus taking up the slaclr which might otherwise occur asthe wires are wrapped around either narrow edge.

Thus the lengtl'i of each pair of wires 12 between the distril'iutor and its point oi application to the core irrespective of its point of application thereto is maintained substantiallr the same and consequently the rate at which they are witlulrawn from their respective supply spools will be the same, thus maintaining; a substantially uni- -iform tension in the wires at all times.

"What is claimed is:

1. The method of serving a plurality of strands to a non circular shaped core. which consists-in distributing the strands from a plurality of points around the core, maintaining the length of each individual strand between its point of distribution and its point of application to the core the same irrespective of its point of application to the core and wrapping it therearound. 4

2. The method of serving a plurality of strands to a non-circular shaped core, which consists in. distributing; the strands from a plurality of uniformly spaced points around the axis of the core, progressively deflecting each strand between its point of distribution and its point of application to the core so as to maintain. the length of the strand the same irrespective of its point of application to the core and wrapping it therearound.

3. The method of serving a plurality of strands to a non-circular shaped core, which consists in distributing: the strands from a plurality of points around the core, maintaining the length of each individual strand between its point of distribution and its point of application to the core the same ,rrespective of its point of application to the core, and causing, a combined relative rotation between the points and the core and a relative movement therebetween along the axis of the core to wrap the strands upon the core.

4;. In a serving apparatus, means for wrap ping a strand around a longitudinally mov ing non-circular core. and stationary mean continuously engaging and progressively defleeting the strand to maintain the, length constant during the wrapping thereof.

5. In a serving apparatus, means for distributing a plurality of strands from a plurality of points around a. non-circular core and wrapping them therearound, and means designed to maintain the length of each individual strand between its point of distribution and its point of application to the core the same irrespective of its point of application thereto.

6. In aserving apparatus, means for distributing a plurality of strands from a plui eeenee rality ef paints uniformly symfed erennd the axis of a non-circular core and wrapping them thereei'eund, and sinfienary means fle signed to maintain the length 03 each individnni strand between ifce paint 9f distribution enei its jaeint of application "to the core the same iTTESPBCiiVQ of its. peint of apylb eatien thereto.

7. In a eei'ving eppareius, means for distributing a plurality e'f stranfie from a pinmiity 0f paints distributed erenndn non; circular core and wrapping them there" around, end means having eontinuousiy changing mam-like sue-face designed to pregressiweiy deflect each strand between its point 0f distribuiien and itspeini 0f application in the ewe sons "to maintain HM? length of each individual strand the same irrespective in? its peint of application thereto 8. In a serving nppareizugfmenns for distributing a piurniitv 0f sifnnds from a pinrelity 0f points nnifermly spaced from end: ether and amend the axis of a non-circular eere Wrapping them thereerennd, and

eaeh individual strand the seine irrespeeiive of its paint ef ripplieetien therein.

9. In a serving apparatus, means distiibuting a plurality of strands from n phireliiy 01? points flistribnied amend noncircular eel-"e, means designed to maintain the length 0f each individual strand between its point at distributien end its iminzt 05 application be Hie core the same iznespeeeive ef its point of nppiientien their-em and means for eausing eembined i'eilative rotation between the distributing pninis and the ewe and a relative inei'ement iherebet'ween liking the axis of the cure i0 wrap the strands upen the core.

In Witness whei'eofi I hei'ennin subscribe any name ibis 22nd tiny of Decemioei" A. D 1925.

RUGERS MASS1 N fiiiAM,v 

